Cape Town — A man from the Free State was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and added to the National Register of Sex Offenders for raping his lesbian neighbour.
Sechaba Mohapi (42) was sentenced by the Bloemfontein Sexual Offences Court for a conviction of rape. The incident happened on 9 December 2022 when the 23-year-old victim, who identified as a lesbian, was walking to the shop to buy milk when he called her into his yard and pretended to buy something on his behalf, The Citizen reported.
“When the victim entered the yard and waited near the door, the accused pretended to fetch money from inside the house. He then grabbed her hand, forcibly pulled her into the house and threw her onto a bed,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said.
“Threatening her with a knife if she screamed, the accused proceeded to rape her in his bedroom. After the assault, the accused threw the victim’s clothes outside the house,” Senokoatsane added.
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The victim reported the matter to the police, and they subsequently arrested and charged Mohapi with rape.
According to TimesLIVE, Senokoatsane said the victim had previously told Mohapi that she was a lesbian when he proposed a romantic relationship, which she declined. Despite this, the accused still raped her.
Regional court prosecutor Azola Key argued that no substantial or compelling circumstances warranted a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years. She emphasised the seriousness of the crime and the prevalence of so-called corrective rape in society.
The accused’s Legal Aid representative had argued for a lesser sentence, saying the accused was a first-time offender.
The court ordered that the accused’s particulars be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
